


Handle with care

by Leya



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Friendship, M/M, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 03:29:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4463768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leya/pseuds/Leya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Athos learns the hard way that everyone needs help from time to time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Handle with care

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this [prompt](http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/1213.html?thread=1891261#cmt1891261) over at the kinkmeme. This bunny chomped down on my leg and wouldn't let go.

  
  
The night air was cold and refreshing after a long day on palace duty and Athos relished the thought of spending the night in his favourite tavern. Eager to get there in time to find a free table in one of the secluded corners he hurried along but soon his hopeful mood evaporated when he saw the wrecked place the sturdy little building had once inhabited.  
  
For a long moment he just stared at the smouldering ruin and with a resigned sigh he turned around, quickly making his way down the street.  
  
Of course the damn thing had to burn down while he had been on duty. He certainly would miss it although there were numerous other taverns to choose from but this one had been his favourite. A darkly lit room, cheap wine, the maid a shy and intimidated mute... for him it had been heaven, providing him with an environment where he was known and no-one expected him to interact with anyone.  
  
As unfortunate as it was, it couldn't be helped, though.  
  
Athos rounded a corner, mind already set on another goal. There was a tavern he had only visited once or twice in all the time he had been in Paris but it wasn't that far away and he already had wasted more than enough time.  
  
Lost in thought he almost missed the cautious footsteps following him but years of soldering had taught him to react purely on instinct and the sudden shiver running down his spine told him that there was someone watching him.  
  
Whirling around Athos stared at the almost empty street, blinking in confusion. He had been so sure...  
  
Shrugging off the uneasy feeling in his gut he walked on. It had been a long day and obviously his nerves were in desperate need of a drink. A few minutes later he reached the tavern and entered without looking back.  
  
Seconds later a dark shadow followed him inside.  
  


+++

  
  
"You can pay?"  
  
Without a word Athos threw a few coins onto the bar and turned around, scanning the small room through narrowed eyes.  
  
Not as dark or spacious as he was used to but it would do. It had to. He was too tired to search for another place and the bottle of wine he just had bought looked so very promising. Grabbing the bottle and not bothering with a glass Athos slowly crossed the room, curiously registering the fact that only two other patrons were present, both of them already lying blindly drunk and face-first on their tables.  
  
He took another step and that was when everything went to hell.  
  


+++

  
  
Athos wasn't sure what he had done to deserve this – the supposed hanging of his wife certainly already had been used up as a measure of punishment – but there obviously was something in his past that predestined him to end up in this... _predicament_.  
  
One moment everything was fine, he was on his way to the other side of the tavern where he hoped to find a suitable table, the next a large hand closed around his wrist, stopping him in mid-movement and a man easily as large as Porthos stepped in his way.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Taking in the expectant smile on the man's slightly reddened face Athos came to the conclusion that the man was completely drunk and with an irritated sigh he stepped back, forcefully jerking his arm out of the man's grip. It proved to be far more difficult than he thought. Damn, but this one was strong.  
  
"I'm Jacques."  
  
Barely refraining from rolling his eyes Athos exhaled sharply, quickly reaching the end of his rope. The day had been taxing enough. He certainly didn't need this drunken fool to...  
  
"I've been watching you."  
  
So there _had_ been someone following him. Growling in annoyance Athos placed one hand on the hilt of his sword. "You're drunk so I give you one chance to get out of my way. Otherwise I won't be held responsible for my actions."  
  
The man swayed, his sluggish mind trying his best to comprehend what Athos had told him but instead of stepping aside he suddenly reached out again and the Musketeer moved, barely avoiding contact to this drunken fool that had decided that he needed to make his acquaintance.  
  
"Stop this nonsense or..."  
  
Everything happened so fast Athos afterwards couldn't tell what exactly had come to pass. Drunk Jacques might be but nonetheless he was fast and strong. Unyielding fingers took hold of his doublet and Athos was pulled forward. Whirled around and out of balance a violent shove sent him stumbling into the dark corner right next to the door that led to the privy. Another harsh push and Athos all but _flew_ through the now open door into the night.  
  
Cursing under his breath Athos tried to free himself but it was like fighting against a mountain. Despite his furious struggling the man held on, leaving him no room for resistance and soon he found himself manoeuvred into a wall. The impact drove the air out of his lungs and Athos scrambled to straighten himself, something that proved to be far more difficult than he had thought while he still saw stars from the collision with the hard surface of the wall.  
  
Snarling in anger Athos drew his sword but it was to no avail. His arm was caught in a vice-like grip and he had no choice but to let go of his weapon when he wanted to avoid his hand to be broken by the sheer force of Jacques' fingers digging into his skin.  
  
Shamed by the fact that he had been disarmed by a man he had underestimated and written off as a mindless drunk Athos wasn't willing to give up this easily. One hand sneaking behind his back the Musketeer brought out his dagger but before he had the chance to use it his hand was slammed brutally against the wooden pole right next to him. The pain was so intense that he involuntarily let the dagger slide through his nerveless fingers.  
  
"Like it rough, don't you?"  
  
A breathy voice laughed into his ear while the man used the bigger mass of his body to flatten him against the wall once more, leaving Athos gasping for air.  
  
Cursing under his breath Athos looked up... and his whole world came to an abrupt standstill.  
  
The man... wanted him.  
  
Whatever he had expected – this certainly was something he never even once considered to happen. From the moment this man had stepped into his way Athos had thought that it was a good old-fashioned fight he was after.  
  
How could he have been so wrong?  
  
It was hard to comprehend but there was no mistaking the man's intentions, not with a lecherous smile curling his lips in barely hidden anticipation. The undisguised desire displayed on the man's hungry face was more than he could stand and Athos threw himself back, desperate to squirm out of the man's grip.  
  
Something hard pressed into his hip and Athos nearly choked, feeling the first stirrings of panic when the man's hold on him just wouldn't budge.  
  
Jacques next move caught him by surprise when a slick tongue traced a wet trail over his cheek, filthy mouth whispering repelling promises of pleasures to come into his ear.  
  
Face burning with embarrassment Athos was flung around. Now pressed face-first into the wall he felt a hand on his hip, a strong arm slung around his waist and hot wet lips sucking a painful mark into the soft skin of his neck.  
  
A shiver ran through his body, dreadful disgust causing him to convulsively swallow down the bile gathering in his throat as reality finally set in.  
  
He was helpless.  
  
His mind was screaming at him to do something – anything – but deep down Athos knew that it was over. Two inches taller with more muscles the man clearly out-weighted him by several pounds. Without his weapons the outcome of this confrontation was unavoidable.  
  
It was an experience he had actually made quite often in the past – every training session of hand to hand combat with Porthos had ended in exact the same way. He was pinned down and held immobile but it always had taken quite a while for his friend to gain the upper hand.  
  
Until now he just never realised that it all had been a lie.  
  
Given the fact that Porthos was just as tall and well-trained in combat it now became painfully clear that Porthos had kept back, carefully measuring his strength to not hurt his training partner, when he could have overpowered him with embarrassing ease.  
  
How could he have been such a fool?  
  
Athos closed his eyes, lips pressed together to suppress the strangled sob that threatened to escape his throat when he felt the hardness of the man's cock pressing against his backside, fervently praying for someone to...  
  
An angry growl permeated the air and Athos bit down on his bottom lip, desperately fighting down the knowledge of what was about to happen.  
  
Another growl and the weight against his back vanished, the loss so abrupt and unexpected that Athos stumbled and fell to his knees. Confused he turned his head and for a long moment he could do nothing but blink in shock at the unexpected sight of Jacques being flung away like a ragdoll.  
  
The resulting fight was brutally short and Athos still was down on his knees when suddenly a dark shadow loomed over him.  
  
Panic flooded his mind and he jerked back, his head colliding with the rough stones behind him for the second time this evening.  
  
"Shhh... it's me. You're safe."  
  
It took Athos several seconds to focus on the face swimming in front of his eyes and even longer until he finally realised that he had been saved, that Porthos had been in time to prevent to worst from happening.  
  
"How...?"  
  
"How I knew where to find you?"  
  
Athos nodded, the aftermath of the terrible situation enough to leave him confused and slightly terrified.  
  
"Pure luck. I was looking for you and saw you entering the tavern. When I followed you inside I just saw you being thrown out the back door. When you didn't come back in immediately after I suspected that something was wrong." Porthos held out his hand and effortlessly lifted Athos to his feet.  
  
Concentrating on the weeds covering the ground Athos refused to look up, mind reeling from just another reminder of how weak he really was.  
  
Hard fingers closed around his chin, forcing him to raise his head and then Porthos was there, dark eyes full of worry and Athos felt the last of his defences break down when he was dragged into a heartfelt embrace.  
  


+++

 

"Tell anyone what has happened and..."  
  
Porthos raised his hand but the worried expression in his eyes belied his feelings. "I know, I know. You'll skin me alive."  
  
"Right." Athos knew it was ridiculous to act the way he did but it was all his wounded pride could handle at the moment. It was worse enough that Porthos had to witness his predicament. To imagine what Aramis and d'Artagnan would say should they ever learn of this made his stomach churn.  
  
_You would have been raped had he not been there_ , a tiny voice whispered into his ear but Athos decided to ignore it.  
  
Of course he was thankful that Porthos had been there and he was far from being ungrateful but all his life he had prided himself in being able to take care of himself. To learn now that he only had deceived himself was a lesson he had a hard time to learn.  
  
"You should tell them."  
  
"No."  
  
"Athos..."  
  
"I said no!" Turning on his heel Athos walked on, determined to reach his lodgings where he intended to drown tonight's events in a bottle of wine but a hard grip on his arm stopped him.  
  
"They won't think less of you just because..."  
  
"I'm weak, Porthos." Athos interrupted him viciously and Porthos reeled back, obviously completely taken by surprise. "I can't even take care of myself properly. How can I expect anyone to follow my orders?"  
  
"Is this what all this is about? Why would we think less of you because of something completely out of your control? You are one of the strongest persons I know regardless what you might think right now and our friends will tell you exactly the same."  
  
"They don't need to know!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I have been humiliated enough for one evening!"  
  
"No-one's trying to humiliate you." Porthos sighed. "You were in a situation you couldn't get out of without help but why this seems to be a problem I honestly don't know. We are your friends and we love you but it's hard for us to live up to your demands. It's a relief to see that you are not perfect after all."  
  
Pressing his lips together in an attempt to swallow the harsh answer already burning on the tip of his tongue Athos abruptly freed himself, quickly continuing on his way. When he finally reached his lodgings, Porthos still a worried shadow at his side, he threw open the door to this rooms and stopped dead on the threshold.  
  
"Where have you two been?" Aramis was sitting on the only chair Athos had in his possession, legs resting on the windowsill. On the other side the youngest member of the Musketeers was lying on the bed, feet still in boots.  
  
"Yes, we've been waiting for hours." D'Artagnan complained good-naturedly, pushing himself upright when he caught the angry look Athos threw his way and setting his feet onto the floor.  
  
"We needed to take care of... something." Porthos answered and Athos turned his head, a distinct warning burning in his eyes. When his friend kept his mouth shut Athos over to the cabinet, grabbing a bottle of wine, the presence of his friends all that caused him to waste time with a glass.  
  
The dark red liquid soothed his frayed nerves and Athos gradually relaxed although he should have known better. Without warning Porthos threw one arm around his shoulders, dragging him against his side.  
  
Wine splashing over his doublet Athos narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at his treacherous friend. The younger man answered with an enigmatic smile and Athos knew he had been lulled into a false sense of security.  
  
Still feeling far too vulnerable and exposed for his own liking he swallowed, desperately trying to convince himself that everything would be alright.  
  
Porthos would never let him down.  
  
"I saved a damsel in distress."  
  
Or so he thought.  
  
Drowning himself in his second glass of wine Athos resigned to fate.  
  
  
END


End file.
